1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to small portable electrical fans and more particularly to a fan device which can be supported by a lanyard around a wearer""s neck so that a cooling breeze may be directed, toward the neck and face area of the wearer, to cool the wearer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous innovations for neck fans for personal cooling having been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention.
A first example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,765 to Waters teaches an air conditioning unit for use in the cooling of persons includes a fan secured below the person""s neck. A moistened foam necklace may be wrapped around the neck or a moistened foam pad otherwise positioned between the fan and the neck of the user. The fan of the air conditioning unit includes a frame, an electric motor mounted on the frame, a fan blade operably connected with the motor and rotatable by the motor for moving air, a battery or other power source operably connected with the motor for actuation thereof, and a switch operably connected between the battery or power source and the motor for controlling the actuation of the motor. Furthermore, the air conditioning unit includes a flexible element attached to the frame, the flexible element being constructed and arranged to be worn around the user""s neck so that air generated by the moving fan blade moves against the neck area after being evaporatively cooled by the foam necklace or pad.
A second example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,304,035 to Carter teaches a portable fan worn in a self-oriented position on a wearer for directing a current of cooling air toward the wearer. The fan has a housing made of lightweight material, a lightweight electric motor in the housing powered by a source such as a battery so that the motor does not require physical connected to a fixed location remote from the wearer, a mechanism for moving air including a shaft connected to the motor, a hub on the shaft and a plurality of vanes projecting radially outwardly from the hub, the shaft, hub and vanes being made of a lightweight material, a shroud made of lightweight material connected to the housing and substantially enclosing said air moving mechanism, and a mechanism for supporting the fan below the wearer""s face in an orientation wherein said air moving mechanism directs a current of air upwardly toward the wearer""s face without being manually held.
A third example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,714 to Hau teaches a necklace hanger for mounting on a portable fan to be worn is disclosed. The hanger includes a main body having a ring for fitly mounting on a fan and an extension for supporting the shroud of the fan. Then a cord is connected to the extension to form a loop for hanging the fan to one""s neck. The hanger can selectively be combined with the fan by the user and is suitable for applying to other portable fans. Furthermore, the connecting mechanism of the cord and the main body is in a detachable manner that when an outer force applied to the connectors exceeds a certain extent, the cord will be released from the hanger to prevent from harming the wearer.
A fourth example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,564 B1 to Park teaches a portable electric fan is provided. The portable electric fan includes a handle constructed of a case in the form of a hollow column, having one end through which one or more power supplying batteries are installed, a motor connected to the electrode of the battery for providing a rotational driving force, a fan which is installed on a rotating shaft of the motor and is rotatably driven, a protecting member enclosing the fan rotated by the motor, and a cord attached to some part of the protecting member. Therefore, the portable electric fan can be operated, while hanging around some part of a user""s body such as the neck. Accordingly, it is possible to freely use both hands. Also, it is possible to safely produce air movement since a protecting member enclosing the fan is formed. Also, holes are formed for allowing the circulation of air between the case and the fan, thereby carrying perfume from a perfume pocket put into a space in the case to a user by the air movement caused during the rotation of the fan.
A fifth example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,192,702 B1 to Shimagori teaches a personal cooling device that may be slung about the neck of a wearer for providing personal cooling under various conditions and wherein the device may be stowed about the waistband of a garment of the user of the device when not used for cooling purposes.
An object of the present invention is to provide a neck fan for personal cooling that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a neck fan for personal cooling that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a neck fan for personal cooling that is simple to use.
Briefly stated, still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a neck fan for personal cooling which can be supported by a lanyard around a wearer""s neck so that a cooling breeze may be directed to cool the wearer""s face and neck area while the wearer""s hands are free to be engaged in ordinary activities of work, leisure, play, etcetera.
The geometry of the construction of the fan device of the present invention is such that it lay close to the body of the wearer so as to minimize the fan device from coming into undesirable contact with other items in the wearer""s environment.
The lanyard which supports the fan device about the wearer""s neck is provisioned to allow the fan device to be adjusted so as to hang at a correct height, and an optimum angle so as to keep the wearer comfortable and efficiently cooled. The lanyard also may be provisioned with an optional break-away safety link so that should the fan device become accidentally entangled or pulled with sufficient force by items in the environment the break-away safety link will permit the lanyard to separate before the wearer will be choked, strangled, or otherwise seriously injured.
The novel features which are considered characteristic of the present invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both so to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiments when read and understood in connection with the accompanying drawings.